Program to Commemorate the Kent State Shootings (1971)

We're talking to two brothers who can state Ohio. And my dad. Is a big general commentary about just exactly what's happening at Kent State now. The generosity for once it's not. From a. Russian political sign. I'm not. My first my first came on campus last fall it was freezing I didn't expect any problems nobody did know I wasn't seen didn't seem to be an atmosphere conducive to the. Last year. But there were tensions created created by students panicking created by remover and created a great deal by the by the administration. The university. President White sent letters to the parents of all the students that were in the room we had a tense situation I knew nothing about any tension until I got a call.

From my mother that he was very upset thinking the university was going to go slow mourning and I can see the same pattern beginning to recur somewhat this spring and I have to put some of the blame on the. Situation because I think if they would ignore things more. But if not ignore you have to recognize that the possibility of more problems does exist but you don't you know cut down the brother cut down the possibility by making people more frightened and more tense. Oh we had a moratorium for water in the height of all this tension and people were afraid to come. They just stood on the periphery of the of the commons away until the speaking started and their knees and everybody came down and the tensions were gone were gone for those who were and I don't dissipate more problems at least not serious problems and it angers me. The

university is frightening my parents attracting attention from the nation's media which creates more tensions building it gets it develops its own dynamics and actually I think increases the possibility. For a sudden the whole general atmosphere of tension you know what specific problems do exist. ROTC is definitely. Still there. There was a faculty committee who studied the thing and made a few recommendations but didn't recommend eliminating TC So it still exists. It's USA still on the juice most things are. Less that stuff. There is kind of kind of an air of suppression on campus in that every time there is a demonstration a gathering.

Convocation you know over nothing. There are people with cameras. People with cameras everywhere are getting pictures and the administration has said that the way they're going to handle it is by taking pictures and making arrests later. Now I don't want to I don't want University the clothes I like the university is heading in new directions it's doing good things. And my goal right now is to keep it open whatever new directions as it is if you are me. I think standard attitudes last May oh I can't speak because I wasn't there but just from I think Bob could talk about the change in it. This was basically last year. Those who weren't going to participate in any demonstrations or any political outlets were fairly apathetic toward what became of this. And those involved are fairly festive. For instance about five minutes before four people were killed.

We were running up one hill dodging tear gas canisters but most people that were there were really having a great time. And now people all around are taking things more seriously when it's you know sort of an awakening towards the realities and actually you know you're used word that would apply would be paranoia because. People on campus are very very paranoid about what's going to happen this spring that is the average rank and file person who wouldn't even participate. He's primarily there for his trade education and I myself. Although I don't consider myself there for any sort of training education I get that on the side I would like to keep a place open simply because the fact that in my opinion education's the only thing that's gotten this far is where you know the system morning education will be able to. Track. Down. LSU play stay

open. I myself a little more optimistic for sort of basic. I don't. See the paranoia but paranoia is there. I think something you have to keep any time you talk about can state theirs. There's a great nation on misconception as to what Kent State really is. Can states or trade school. Most people who go to school at Kent State get the 2 points get their degree and go work for General Motors were Xerox and then you have to say but I mean there is no religious just can't can't is the school of activists who don't know what The New Republic gives is the school where. You know people think they're they have vanguard if they read Time magazine. Eighty percent of the students care don't know what's happening don't care about you can you know it's caps a lot of the demands of the world would work or for us you know and. Talk about. With those conditions in the

studio system. Yeah. Basically demands came from the year before we had a slate disorder. Demands were one to get Razzi off campus to we have a law enforcement program which is a major and. This was the demands to get this off campus. There's a crime lab sort of. Supplements a law enforcement program that helps police forces throughout northern Ohio and that was the third demand in the fourth being a liquid crystals Institute which is allegedly did research in the chemical warfare or biological warfare I believe in Vietnam to get that off campus. That was moved off campus across town. The law enforcement program still exists an interesting line up through commissions and committees that the administration set up the so-called leaders of the left the camp workers who are either

on liquid crystals or still university people. In there for money. This is their offices and I look at his father here. That's right. Rusty is still on campus and it is a matter affecting I guess that commission was going to try to make it more academic. So this really says affection no one. And. And the crime lab I believe was also on the campus but still does exist and serves police forces around the area. The men since then have a risen in the area of disarming the campus police which is still under consideration. That doesn't mean that it's going to happen or not and I don't know. And as far as last Mace was concerned of course it was basically the Campbell you offensive you know. Kicked it off everywhere and sort of got everyone going

in general. Usual free all political prisoners you know these things that always go along with it you know. But was the status of. The political prisoners at Camp because. We can't 25 or I don't believe they've gone to trial yet I know that I'm going to trial you worry they are a federal court order of the grand jury see. Tax destroyed which definitely puts the legality of the indictment question. I don't think personally I don't think any of them will be prosecuted because it will never stand the peel. It would simply cost the state a lot. Gilligan was no. Rose I don't think is going to press. For. Prosecution. For one and one thing about that. They did officially invalidate the grand jury report but that decision has been appealed and the Can 25 trials are pending that decision the words

the grand jury for and maybe reinstated the appeals been made by the two attorneys that were raised. Remember when they killed some friend you were drunk. It's going to be difficult there. There is some some strange law about the official text kept on record which has been his word but just to me it was destroyed before they could get another injunction to prevent it from be destroyed temporarily so even if the appeal by the county is successful. I wonder if you can replace the original tanks and the lawn is a weird thing. And it's based on strange things like. Facts. So I mean it's all in question. When you start with unjust justice. History runs to just this news just this week and I was just it

then I was hoping to block his students. I read in the. Middle of the book the guys in the black kid students were arrested on assault. Better yet what would the thing that started it is very interesting and very indicative of the attitude of the restoration towards us. Was allowed. Yet one block was arrested. At gunpoint and handcuffed. For chalky sight bill last week. No. Man. Into their group. The hearing is under house bill 12:19. Where. Perry stole a tape. The transcript of his hearing Blount's revoked your response here right before the appeal so he was arrested. Jars on under. 12:19 for stealing. Then there was that incident at the student center.

That was Harry Wright. Who. Got to the altar cation one of the student senators exactly what happened. I don't. I'm not sure if. He was shirtless. With good leadership at all. What do most students feel about those little georgie's students. Down. Is like the. Jewelry store. It's basically racist. Or stupid. How many black students on campus. By about I think it's up to an astounding 700 now out of about 20000. It's not too much better than last year. They really sort of want to recruiting and they get 200 more the only 500 left. As far as Buzz is concerned it's an interesting sort of dilemma.

For. Some black students I know that I wouldn't classify as Tums by any stretch of the imagination. And they are sort of down on bus. They're very political but they're there primarily down on the leadership of us yet they're forced and understandably so to support the demand. This is an interesting thing. But as far as the reaction students are definitely down on busses. It's sort of the covert racism I mean nobody's going to say they're racist you know buses demand buses 40000 is a political bus doesn't 140 pounds or so they never did 140 was what they wanted was something that would grant the conscience the attention of the university community to Delhi University listen you know like. The carpenters are not our company you know that's the kind of people people we have concerts and you know the the for social structure of the universe is built around and for and of

white middle class you know young people and there is there's no programs social or otherwise. And the idea of the $40000 has to call attention to the problems of their own people are ignoring the problems completely you know painting generally the right wing other progressive groups with the white student community. Yeah out of the four of us this is significant right at the end of last quarter there was a coalition between like you know students the Youth International. Yes see it was it was an at home thing it just happened at a demonstration against the Laotian. Since then these other races. Busses shaky the coalition issue but I think it could be seen here that this spring. OK we've been talking you know with referring.

OK so we've been talking about bussing people been alluding to this very offensive saying that you got to say Well firstly we don't want the university closed down so. That looks to me as if for this possibility that the universe and by closedown bossman talking rather bust a man's is a possibility that. The students will take the offensive cause strike or. Other these type of possibilities a transitory one. The university won't close by a strike because you. Get more than. 15 percent listing bias straight especially over bus busses. What could close the strike would be a mass street action police. Force. Reaction. Or violence. Perhaps a bomb. Or something like this. And I'm I'm really against it because it will accomplish anything by closing the university in that manner. Because it still would be a very minority very minority action which is

what we. Want right now if we can get through spring. But without being complacent I mean we still have this obligation because there are things wrong. Wrong. Things wrong. Kent State University. And somehow. We've got to be able to keep university open or open. Person. So if it becomes what it's supposed to be a university before the right ideas without closing it down violence. What specific actions do you have planned for the next month or local of. One national level. As far as a different one for the actions go. They did just solidarity and so forth. Oh we have a we have our own commemoration of last May for the well run May 1 through 4. The university has their commission that is set up a program that many of us feel to be you know very poor as far as the commemoration is concerned so coalitions come together again the students the May Day

coalition you know devoted undesirable things that we discourage most undesirable thing about. What's planned now. Or is the fact that everything has to be approved. For us to change. Yeah that's so some rogue people I'd rather. Shoot with. Exploration. So here's all the roads before that as far as that goes I think that the attitude towards the carrying enough of humans is going to be basically one of a nonviolent nature by more people because of last May because the ultimate in rallies occurred less me and what did we get. Two brothers and two sisters did and. Although their names have been you know used like you know you know brothers and sisters died for this. Well that's not what it was really I can speak for one of the four that I didn't know well and she was in a nonviolent

politics the politics of all this was else and cross and. I think people are sort of dedicated to nonviolence really and realizing that the alienation of the outside world in the news media. Can only work to the disadvantage of student body and student movement in general and this is you know courses opinions contests and people that are you know Bali's things. Because the way I look at it after a. Year like the actions last spring and the killings last spring probably sums to his became very apathetic saying it would have scared a mockery devolve to other students and I'm going to redo the kid myself to to nonviolence his nonviolence is more effective if you know we're going to race were very good. I probably have other students said you know self-defense is the answer no other good number students who are calling for from self-defense or

sabotage use mostly through the rumors I would say the rumors are flying. Most of the people that I don't know well I don't know what you're talking about specific So the issue is with the people that I've met in the wake of it. More aware. Of. Their place in the scheme of world politics. They're aware that they must resist because that you know they've just demonstrated to them very graphically. What is wrong what's wrong in this country. And I think most people are saying non-biased I want to be nonviolent Why do you keep it down but the question is how does a racing guns again I don't know what I do. I think maybe because I think the criticism of the kids and freaks and radical Islam people students and decide whether they were done by the. Law. That the decision is often thrust upon them. By. Their ability. This is because the soft leather stuff the right.

Time Zone circumstances sort of cast you in your role at the last minute. This son this is my view that you know I'm not going to try to you know feign an air of pacifism I don't believe in past it but I do believe in all possible. Non-violent outlets especially in the situation where we have a news media and administration in Washington and everywhere else that trying to Elian ate a group of people that in reality are really trying to help the whole in the light of this you know we have to sort of put out a public relations campaign. With what success or the people who are having. To look yourselves in the. Organizing larger groups of students on the campus or. People off the campus to come to accept to give your viewpoint that consciously that's pretty hard. I mean Ohio's basically a farm state and we do get people from the

general cross-section of Ohio and they're pretty much unwilling to step. On anything things and be too radical and this year to radical means showing up at a rally because at home I've gotten it. It's not typically going to stop me but it's going to stop some people and you know when people hold bread pay for your education you do hold a lot of power and a lot of these people are reality oriented and job oriented and this is what's going to go in there. And so that's part of the town goes I think the town is a sort of quietly and I think that the town is fright and it's visibly frayed because people shy away from me on the street. People. From. Opposite. Us. On the idea cause campus Francis are groups of people who are trying to move. Up into the towns into the surrounding areas to a better relations in lieu rather closer into the consciousness of the have a dialogue with the peoples Bill

Bill Davis who's not as anything of the sort happening we can't. We we have on this is it's not the political strain but it's a we can't clean up day. Your program where. Students will have a river is pretty famous for its fill and we can go down there or we can. Be elderly people in cleaning up. Around where they live. And these are good programs and I think this program is a start and I can really dig a teacher teaching program in the town visually. But a lot of people. Don't really care about the town relationship and I think there are some that this program like can't clean and they may seem awfully insignificant viewpoint here. But before we can say begin talking about politics with the people in the town we have to be able to talk to them. And now we can't. So I mean it's a start. Is the only place we can start.